The present invention relates generally to enclosures for electronic devices, and in particular enclosures including electrical connectors such as a receptacle connector for receiving an audio connector or plug.
Many electronic devices include electrical connectors that receive data and, in some cases, receive and provide power and data. These electrical connectors are typically receptacle connectors and are designed to receive a male plug connector. The male plug connector may be on the end of a cable. The plug connector may plug into the receptacle connector, thereby forming one or more conductive paths for signals and/or power.
Receptacle connectors often have a shell that surrounds and provides mechanical support for contacts of the receptacle connector. Receptacle connector shells are typically made from plastics. The contacts may be arranged to mate with corresponding contacts on the plug connector, e.g., an audio plug, to form portions of electrical paths between devices.
These receptacle connectors, e.g., audio jacks, are often manufactured separately from the enclosure and sometimes by a manufacturer different than the enclosure manufacturer. These off-the-shelf receptacle connectors may be attached with bolts or otherwise fixed to enclosures of electronic devices. Some receptacle connectors are customized for use within a specific electronic device or a group of electronic devices. These custom receptacle connectors may also be manufactured separately from the enclosure and inserted into the enclosure during the assembly process of the electronic device.
As electronic devices continue to become smaller, these enclosures have increasingly limited internal space while still including a large number of internal components. Limited space within the enclosures of devices creates a number of challenges. For example, the limited internal space of these enclosures drives the demand for smaller internal components such as smaller receptacle connector shells. However, smaller receptacle connector shells that are compatible with industry standard connectors such as the 3.5 mm audio plug may not be available. Proprietary plug connectors or 2.5 mm audio plugs that include smaller receptacle connectors shells could be implemented in some situations but that would require consumers to purchase new devices and/or related accessories.
Many devices suffer from all or some of these deficiencies or from similar deficiencies. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide enclosures having smaller internal components such as audio jacks.